


Comfortable

by Myrs_Fics



Category: Naruto
Genre: Asexual Relationship, F/M, One Shot, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 12:45:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6006556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myrs_Fics/pseuds/Myrs_Fics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakura has been hearing some pretty irritating things above her love-life around town. In fact, the public are getting  little too pushy. Sakura's had enough of her love live being public, and quite frankly just wants to appreciate what she does have in private, but will Konoha let her? One~shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Comfortable

**Author's Note:**

> Second attempt at posting, hopefully this went up without any hitches. First fiction, especially first ship in a long time :)  
> Additional notes - Sakura is over 18 in this, just in case folk get antsy, which they shouldn't do because this is rated not for what folk get up to, but what it's implied might be going on.

It was habit based on comfort. 

She'd finish a mission and he'd be there, waiting for her at the gates to welcome her back. He'd then leave her to her business, whether it was writing up and handing in the latest mission report, or having a long and hot shower to wash away the last remnants of the old job to make herself fresh for the next one. Then he'd appear again, take out box in hand, and they'd eat their meal together either on her balcony on in his living room, depending on the weather.

She did the same for him when he returned. She'd wait for him, take care of breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on the time of day, and he'd turn up after he'd cleaned himself up, visited the cenotaph and put his paperwork to rights.

When he was out, she would see to his houseplants. It was a collection of which had grown over the years, from the small yet enduring Mr. Ukki, to the rather grand looking ponytail palm by the name of Mr. Uma that stood beside his couch. She dutifully watered them and, unbeknownst to anyone, had conversations with them, based mostly on how handsome they were and how vibrant they were looking that day. It was rare that she ever had to deal with his kitchen. The room was always clean and the fridge and freezer were immaculate. He'd never left fruit or vegetables to go bad, though she suspected part of the reason for this was that before the copy-nin left for a mission he would sneak his 'excess vegetable and fruit purchases' into Naruto's apartment where the young man would avoid them until she turned up to force him to eat something other than cup ramen. Occasionally, on some of the older ninja's longer missions, she would dust, wipe down his windows and run the hoover around.

When she returned from her longer missions, the smell of citrus instead of a musty odour would inform her that he'd done the same by wiping down surfaces and washing the tiled floors. She had no plants in her house, save for the plastic flowers she kept on the coffee table in the living room. He amused himself by turning them different colours upon her return and waiting for her to notice the change.

It was only until she'd been asked about their relationship that she actually began to think about it. Sakura had never bothered to categorise it. They knew each other as many things, as friends and co-workers, maybe close companions if that really meant anything at all.

He'd shrugged and brushed it off as nonchalantly as usual.

"We're comfortable. What does it matter?"

She knew it didn't, and had decided not to let it bother her. They maintained their easy comfort in each others company and resolved not to let anyone interfere with them.

However it became a more pressing concern the further it went on. Little queries, here and there, let her know that there were more than a few people interested in her relationship with her ex-sensei. A few had expressed encouragement, which disturbed her as it always came across as pushy, as though they were implying there was a more sordid side to their intimacy that just wasn't there. It made her uncomfortable. After a few more days, she noticed he was uncomfortable too. He didn't avoid her, nor did he stop coming over for meals, or cease to greet her at the gate when she came home. If anything, he made a point of maintaining that connection, as though to reinforce their friendship through visible action.

He never touched her sexually. She didn't touch him in that way either. The implications from external parties made it seem like she already was, even though nothing of the sort had transpired between them. The only contact between them was platonic. She'd rest a hand on his shoulder when asking him about his day. He'd lean against her on the sofa when they'd finished dinner and were going through scrolls they shared. Contact was never too close, never lingered long enough to cross a line or discomfort.

There was a respect there that she had come to rely on. His continued presence was his own assurance that he felt the same.

It all came to a head one day when she was in the market with him. They were at a grocers stall, bickering about what to have for dinner when one of the council heads approached them. Specifically she approached Kakashi with a sharp look in her eye and a twist to her mouth that put Sakura on edge the moment she saw it. Without a word between the two she'd moved to stand between the man beside her and the approaching woman and had fixed her with a look of warning. It had gone unheeded. The councillor had marched up and had bluntly demanded the copy-nin meet with the elders that evening to discuss his impending marital status and the re-establishment of his clan. 

He'd flinched.

He'd flinched and Sakura had watched him disappear from the conversation entirely, eyes crinkling an affirmative that he did not want to give. For a brief moment Sakura saw red, and in the next she was nose to nose with the woman, hissing at her, telling her to back off and mind her own business. Before she knew it she was snarling at the councillor, so incensed was she, that she'd told her in no uncertain terms that if anyone tried to pack off Hatake Kakashi like an animal to stud she'd do worse than have something to say about it, she'd stop it outright, and forcefully at that.

The councillor had sneered at her, retorting that it was completely inappropriate for a woman her age to be seeing a man his age, and that they'd find a much more suitable bride for him that would actually be able to birth children, rather than dally about playing house with no thought to the future of their village.

He'd caught her hand before it had struck and never had she been so grateful for his restraint. Sakura had dreaded what could have happened would she to have knocked the woman's head off, because that's what she'd been swinging for in the flush of rage she had felt at the councillors words.

How dare they treat her like that? How dare they treat him like that!? How dare any of them assume so much and have so many expectations for something that was absolutely none of their business!?

In a swirl of leaves the two of them had left the market, leaving the councillor and the unwitting audience of the drama behind.

He'd sat down heavily on his couch as Sakura stormed back and forth before him, raging and swinging at invisible enemies.

"They've been at this for years Sakura, ignore it."

"But if you ignore it they'll keep at it! I will not let them do this to us. I'm not letting them warp what we have because they've got ulterior motives. We have to see Tsunade Shisho."

"Let it go Sakura. They'll just do it again when the next Hokage is in."

She stood and stared at him for a long time. He matched her glare with wavering indifference and then heaved a sigh out as he ran both hands through his hair in frustration.

"I've been dragged to over thirty Omiai's this year alone-"

"-I know." She says quietly, anger straining her jaw. He stops and looks up at her and she stands resolute as he examines her anew.

"You knew?" He finally says, watching her.

"You aren't the only one." She smiles sadly. He sits up straighter, indignation on her behalf squaring his shoulders and narrowing his eyes. "Kakashi, it's okay. We should just go to Shisho. Get this dealt with once and for all."

________

There's a reason Sakura loves Tsunade as a grandmother. She imagines that Tsunade is probably very much like the grandmother she would have had, would have wanted.

The Godaime is a force to be reckoned with, and with very little objection, the matter of their 'need to sire heirs for the sake of Konoha' issue is dropped promptly. She even offers an apology to Kakashi after she's done chewing him out for not bringing this to her attention sooner.

He's relieved. She can tell by the relaxed shift of his shoulders and the lilt in his voice as he murmurs his thanks to his Hokage. Tsunade arches an eyebrow at him and dismisses him briskly. Sakura waits behind at her Shishou's glance.

When the door closes Tsunade brushes the papers aside she had been looking at, braces her elbows on the table and rests her chin on her folded hands to look at her student.

"Platonic huh?"

Sakura nods. She's run out of ways to say it. She really isn't sexually involved with him, she's not going to be, and it fills her with a giddy sort of joy that he neither wants nor expects her to be, that he's as happy with her companionship as she is with his.

"You're good with this? Content I mean. You don't think you're missing out?"

"It works for us. We're happy. I'm happy."

"I would have thought you'd want a family. He doesn't want one Sakura. You'll never have that, at least not with Kakashi."

"I know. It's just…" She pauses, looking for the right words to say, and finds them just because Tsunade is willing to wait for her. That patience is uplifting her, giving her the confidence to say what it was she needs to say.

"We're comfortable Shishou."

"There's a lot to be said for that in our line of work Sakura. A lot of people are going to be against it, and more are going to tell you what you're doing wrong rather than what you're doing right. I've only got this to say, so make sure you take it to heart."

"Okay."

"It's alright to be selfish. We only find what we want rarely, and we get to hold onto it only briefly. Enjoy what you have, as selfishly as you want for as long as you can. Make it something precious to keep with you always."

"I will Shishou. Thank-you."

**Author's Note:**

> I know it drops off a little at the end, but I figured it was the best place to finish it, rather than fumble on an ending that seemed forced. Also didn't define the relationship because it didn't feel right to define it.


End file.
